Echinacea plant named ‘Eglow’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of hybrid  Echinacea , ‘Eglow’, characterized by its inflorescences with red cones and ray florets that are held horizontally and open light yellow with a darker orange-yellow base and mature to orange-yellow with a red base, and by its strong and erect stems.

Botanical classification: Echinacea hybrid.

Variety denomination: ‘Eglow’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Echinacea of hybrid origin and will be referred to hereafter by its cultivar name, ‘Eglow’. ‘Eglow’ represents a new coneflower, an herbaceous perennial grown for landscape use.

The Inventor selected the new cultivar, ‘Eglow’, in a seedbed at a nursery in Sint Annaland, The Netherlands in August of 2008. The seedbed had been planted with seeds collected and pooled from unnamed proprietary plants of Echinacea purpurea and unnamed proprietary plants of hybrid Echinacea. The exact parents are therefore unknown.

Asexual propagation of the new cultivar was first accomplished by in vitro propagation under the direction of the Inventor in Rijswijk, The Netherlands in September of 2010. Asexual propagation by in vitro propagation has determined that the characteristics of the new cultivar are stable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent the characteristics of the new cultivar. These attributes in combination distinguish ‘Eglow’ as a unique cultivar of Echinacea.

-   -   1. ‘Eglow’ exhibits inflorescences with red cones and ray         florets that are uniquely colored; opening light yellow with the         base darker orange-yellow and maturing to orange-yellow with a         red base.     -   2. ‘Eglow’ exhibits ray florets that are held horizontal.     -   3. ‘Eglow’ exhibits strong stems that are held erect.

The new cultivar can be most closely compared to the cultivars ‘Flame Thrower’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,932) and ‘Tiki Torch’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 18,839). ‘Flame Thrower’ is similar to ‘Eglow’ in ray floret color, however ‘Flame Thrower’ differs from ‘Eglow’ in having ray florets that are held slightly less flat and lack pink coloration at the base, and in being taller in height. ‘Tiki Torch’ is similar to ‘Eglow’ in having orange ray florets, however ‘Tiki Torch’ differs from ‘Eglow’ in having larger inflorescences with ray florets that are deeper orange without pink coloration and drooping in aspect, and in having a taller plant height.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The plants in the accompanying photographs depict the characteristics of a six month-old plant of ‘Eglow’ as field grown in Sint Annaland, The Netherlands and placed in a one-gallon container for the photographs.

The photograph in FIG. 1 provides a side view of a plant in bloom.

The photograph in FIG. 2 provides a close-up view of an inflorescence of ‘Eglow’.

The photograph in FIG. 3 provides a close-up view of a leaf of ‘Eglow’.

The colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description, which accurately describe the colors of the new Echinacea.

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

The following is a detailed description of six month-old plants of ‘Eglow’ as field grown in Sint Annaland, The Netherlands. Plants were grown under average day temperatures ranging from 15° to 32° C. and average night temperatures of 12° to 20° C. The phenotype of the new cultivar may vary with variations in environmental, climatic, and cultural conditions, as it has not been tested under all possible environmental conditions. The color determination is in accordance with The 2007 R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England, except where general color terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   General description:     -   -   Blooming period.—From July into September in The             Netherlands.         -   Plant type.—Herbaceous perennial.         -   Plant habit.—Clump forming, upright with strong and erect             flowering stems.         -   Height and spread.—About 75 cm in height and 40 cm in             spread.         -   Cold hardiness.—At least to U.S.D.A. Zones 3.         -   Diseases and pests.—Not particular susceptible or resistance             to pests or diseases has been observed.         -   Root description.—Fibrous. -   Growth and propagation:     -   -   Propagation.—Tissue culture.         -   Growth rate.—Moderate to highly vigorous. -   Stem description:     -   -   Shape.—Rounded.         -   Stem color.—144A to 144B, slightly tinged on the sunny side             ranging between 165A and 177A.         -   Stem size.—Average of 4 mm in diameter and an average of             48.1 cm in height.         -   Stem surface.—Slightly rough to the touch due to being             covered with sparse strigose pubescence; 1 mm in length,             NN155D in color.         -   Stem strength.—Strong.         -   Stem number.—Average of 5 main stems.         -   Branching.—Un-branched.         -   Stem aspect.—Held erect. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Leaf shape.—Ovate to narrowly ovate.         -   Leaf division.—Simple.         -   Leaf base.—Attenuate.         -   Leaf apex.—Long acute.         -   Leaf venation.—Pinnate, upper surface color; 145B, lower             surface color; 145A to 145B.         -   Leaf margins.—Entire to coarsely and shallowly dentate,             wavy.         -   Leaf attachment.—Petiolate.         -   Leaf arrangement.—Alternate.         -   Internode length.—An average of 4.9 cm.         -   Leaf size.—Average of 11.7 cm in length and 5.4 cm in width.         -   Leaf color.—Young upper surface; 134A, young lower surface;             143A to 143B, mature upper surface; N137A to N137B, mature             lower surface; 137B.         -   Leaf surface.—Upper surface is very slightly glossy, lower             surface is slightly glossy, both surfaces moderately covered             with very short strigose hairs; average length of 0.5 mm and             155D in color.         -   Petioles.—Upper stem leaves nearly sessile, average length             of petioled leaves is 5.4 cm in length, v-shaped petiole is             about 4 mm in length and width, color; upper side 145A,             margins N137B, lower side 145B, margin 137A, main vein             sparsely covered with very short strigose hairs, average of             0.3 mm in length and 155D in color. -   Flower description:     -   -   Type.—Terminal capitulum, heterogamous with ray florets             around the head margin and disk florets in the center,             forming a radiant head.         -   Capitulum number.—One terminal capitulum per stem.         -   Lastingness of inflorescence.—About 10 days.         -   Capitulum size.—Matures to about 2.9 cm in height and 9.4 cm             in diameter, disk size is an average of 3 cm in diameter.         -   Fragrance.—Faint, sweet but slightly acidic fragrance.         -   Involucral bracts or phyllary.—About 50 arranged in 3             overlapping rows, up to 8 mm in length and 3 mm in width,             dull in appearance, cuneate at base, acute apex, ovate to             narrow ovate in shape, entire margins moderately covered             with very short hairs; 0.5 mm in length and 155D in color,             upper surface; smooth and N143C, base 145D in color, lower             surface; 137C in color and sparsely covered with very short             hairs average of 0.5 mm in length and 155D in color.         -   Buds.—Flattened globular in shape, up to 2.7 cm in diameter             and 2.5 cm in length, color; 143A, immature ray florets 11C,             immature receptacle spines 183A.         -   Peduncle.—Strong, straight on top of main (flowering) stem,             average angle of secondary and tertiary peduncles 20°             (0°=straight upright), terminal peduncle length is 11.3 and             3 mm in diameter, 144C, becoming 144B near the             inflorescence, surface is covered with short strigose hairs,             1 mm in length and NN155D in color.         -   Ray florets.—Rotate, about 17, oblanceolate in shape, about             4.4 cm in length and 1.1 cm in width, praemorse apex,             cuneate base, entire margin, slightly drooping in an average             of 5° downward near horizontal, upper surface texture is             smooth, moderately velvety and moderately ribbed lengthways             (carinate), lower surface texture is smooth and moderately             ribbed lengthways (carinate), color: when opening upper             surface; 13A, base becoming 22B, when opening lower surface;             12D, when fully open upper surface; 22A, base 53D, when             fully open lower surface; 58D, center 150D, upper surface             fading to 53D, upper half tinged 22B, tip tinged 1B, lower             surface fading to 59D, striped with 150D, tip 144C.         -   Disk florets (bisexual).—Numerous, about 240, tubular in             shape, fused into tube upper 10% free, acute apex, base             fused into tube, about 1 cm in length and 2 mm in width,             entire margin, upper and lower surfaces smooth and glossy in             appearance, color of upper and lower surfaces when opening;             146B, outer tip 183B to 183C, mid-section 145C, base 150D,             color of upper and lower surfaces with fully open; 187A,             upper half of mid-section 187C to 187D, lower half of             mid-section 144C, base 150D.         -   Receptacle.—Triangular in shape, about 0.9 cm in diameter             and height, color 157D.         -   Receptacle spines.—Average of 240, average of 1.3 cm in             length, acicular in shape, acute apex, attenuate base,             smooth and glossy surface, color: apex; 45A to 46A,             mid-section; 144C, base; 145D. -   Reproductive organs (present on disk florets only):     -   -   Gynoecium.—Pistil; 1,1 cm in length, style; 9 mm in length             and 145A in color, ovary; 150D in color.         -   Androcoecium.—Stamens; 4, filament 3 mm in length and 150D             in color, anther; linear in shape, 3 mm in length and 200A             in color, pollen; moderate in quantity and 15A in color.         -   Fruit/seed.—No fruit or seed detected to date. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Echinacea plant named ‘Eglow’ substantially as herein illustrated and described. 